Forever Bound
by Kirbymon11
Summary: Sonic and Knuckles. Knuckles and Sonic. The Dream Team. The Dynamic Duo. No matter how you say it, the hedgehog and the echidna, whether they realize it or not, are the best of friends and close as brothers. They are, and always will be, forever bound...even if they like to beat each other up a lot. Knuxonic friendship oneshot collection. TAKES REQUESTS! T for swearing/some gore.
1. The Greatest Gift

**Forever Bound**

By Kirbymon (-^.^-)^

DISCLAIMER: I'd like to give credit to sonictailsbros and his fanfic _Brotherly Bonds_ for the inspiration to create a oneshot collection that accepts requests. Please check out that fic, it's Sonic/Tails brotherly and it's amazingly cute! sonictailsbros is a promising author and he works very hard, so give him some support!

AN: Well, here it is. The first oneshot of Forever Bound! I will be taking requests after this one, my only rule is that it must be Knuxonic _friendship, __**not**__ Yaoi!_ If I see any Yaoi, or any excessively mature content, for that matter, I'm just going to ignore it. Also, please keep in mind that I am not _waiting_ for requests. I will do them if you have them, but I will also post my _own_ oneshots. Finally, please don't complain if your request takes a while, especially if it's long and complicated. I have a fairly busy life and a lot of things to do, so I'll try the best I can, but don't rush me.

Anyway, this is a Knuxonic fic about Knuckles on his 19th birthday (his birthday also happened to be the day he met Sonic ((or in other words, it's when 3K happened)) in my headcanon) reminiscing about his life...and Sonic's there too, of course. Why is it about his 19th birthday, you ask? Because it IS his 19th birthday! On February 2nd, 1994, Sonic 3 was released in America, so many fans consider that date his birthday. I'm uploading this fic in celebration, and I'm also going to try to beat S3K with Knuckles without savestates (yes, I realize I suck _).

Enjoy the first oneshot, everyone!

* * *

The Greatest Gift

Original Idea (AN: This basically means that the basis for this story was not requested by a reviewer).

He awoke to the sound of birds chirping and the sun shining in his half-asleep eyes. As his eyelids tried to flutter open, he had to constantly blink so his eyes would adjust to the light. After he was finally able to open his eyes without having to squint too much, he sat up from his sleeping position and yawned while stretching his arms.

It took a few minutes for the island-dweller's mind to actually start thinking about the day. He knew there was something important he was forgetting, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. He arose from his spot on the stone steps of the Master Emerald altar and started to head out to his secret stash of important items in the Hidden Palace. In his stash was a calendar he had received as a gift for his-

_Oh. That's right._

Knuckles the Echidna had already reached the bottom of the stairs when he came to a sudden halt. He slapped his palm to his face, baffled as to why this didn't come to him the moment he woke up. How could he forget his own birthday?

Today was February second. His nineteenth birthday. Yes, he'd existed for 19 years already, and he'd spent at least three-quarters of his life doing absolutely nothing. Knuckles groaned as he headed back up the stairs. He didn't like birthdays...or at least his own, anyway, for two reasons.

First, he hated having to remember the fact that he didn't really accomplish anything. The purpose of birthdays was to celebrate your life, yet in his case, there wasn't really anything to celebrate. Yeah, he saved the world a few times, but it's not like _he_ did most of the work anyway. That honor would belong to the hedgehog, of course.

Ah, yes, the hedgehog. The second reason. Or, part of it, rather. On his fifteenth birthday, his now arch-enemy, back then a stranger and the first human being he'd ever met, crash-landed his giant Death Star ripoff on Angel Island. He was able to trick the naïve guardian into thinking that two jewel thieves were going to invade the island in order to steal the precious relic, the Master Emerald. As mentioned before, Knuckles believed the rotund visitor right away. He had a couple of doubts, sure, but he couldn't take any chances with the emerald.

Sure enough, a blue, supersonic hedgehog and a two-tailed, orange fox arrived at the island and started romping around all over the place. Knuckles constantly tried to impede on their progress, but he often did little more than be a nettle. He had soon fallen in a fight to the hedgehog in the Hidden Palace, where the strange scientist from earlier revealed himself to be Dr. Robotnik, an evil genius who wanted nothing less than complete world domination. To put it simply, Knuckles was so pissed he let his guard down and lost the emerald. He was ready to give up, discouraged, when the hedgehog and his sidekick offered to help him get the all-powerful jewel back. Knuckles was shocked that the two he'd been hindering now wanted to assist him, and although his inner pride screamed at him to decline their offer, he couldn't turn them down. The three set off to Sky Sanctuary, where Knuckles collapsed from exhaustion. The other two anthros carried on, and to the echidna's great surprise, obtained his emerald.

Soon after, the heroes and the guardian parted ways on good terms. The day had been such an eventful one, Knuckles had nearly forgotten it was his birthday. He didn't particularly care, anyway, but he was glad that his special day ended on a good note. Although he wouldn't admit it for a long time, he saw his allies off with great gratitude that day, wondering if one day they would meet again.

He highly doubted it, of course, but he _did_ see them again. And again. And again. And many times after that. So many times, in fact, that he'd gotten to know the two very well, and they became his closest friends. He also befriended many others along the way, and although he'd never tell anybody for a million dollars, he was glad. He had the closest thing to what he could call family.

Back in reality, the echidna smiled to himself as he leaned against the Master Emerald. Although the day he was reminiscing about was hectic, he had fond memories of it. He had succeeded in the first of many adventures he would embark on, and that made him proud.

Knuckles was snapped out of his thoughts when the faint whirring of a propeller was heard in the distance. "Huh?" he mumbled to himself, jumping down from the altar and gliding to slow his fall so he would have a soft landing. At first he thought he would have to deal with Robotnik's, who was now known as "Eggman", forces on his birthday. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the approaching figure was a red biplane, and he sighed in relief.

The hedgehog. Sonic.

Knuckles relaxed his tense muscles and plopped down on the second-to-last stair. He waited patiently for Sonic to land his plane, the Tornado, on the island and rush up to the altar at supersonic speed. Knuckles never bothered to greet him at the edge of the island, as the cobalt one knew the path to the altar well and could dash through it on his own perfectly fine. He quickly straightened his crimson dreadlocks when he heard the hedgehog's speedy, loud footsteps become closer to the altar with every passing second.

When Sonic was within a few feet of the echidna, he slowed himself until he came to a complete halt. Knuckles leaped out of his seat and greeted the blue blur. "Hey," he said, and waved nonchalantly. Sonic waved back with a grin. "What's up, you old man?" he chuckled.

Knuckles gave him a wide-eyed look of surprise. "You...remembered?" he queried. Not many people actually acknowledged his birthday in the past. Sonic rolled his eyes. "Well, duh," he replied, "it's not like I got amnesia or anything. Who do I look like, Shadow?"

Knuckles laughed and remarked, "Well, if _I'm_ really an idiotic Central City resident, yes."

Sonic smirked. "Good times, eh?" he said, thinking back to when he and the gang had met the ebony hedgehog for the first time, and all the humans thought Sonic and Shadow were the same person.

Sonic's smile quickly turned into a slight frown. "Anyway..." he began, staring at the ground, "Things were pretty hectic back at home, so I never really had time to get you anything, and no one else really remembered your birthday...sorry." he apologized somberly. Knuckles felt his shoulders sulking not because of the fact that his friends had forgotten, but because the hedgehog had all this pressure put on him. "It's...it's alright," he reassured, straightening himself out, "Honestly...I never really wanted a present anyway. It kinda makes me feel spoiled..." he blushed.

"Spoiled?" the hedgehog questioned, "It's your birthday! You shouldn't have to feel that way!" The echidna shrugged one shoulder. "I guess it's the whole echidna honor thing. The pride and whatnot. It's just kinda...natural for me to feel."

"I guess." Sonic said, shrugging as well. "So...you're nineteen, huh?" he pointed out, changing the subject. "Yep," Knuckles nodded, "but I still feel like I'm two." They both laughed. "You know, you do act like it sometimes," cobalt teased.

"Shut it," Knuckles chuckled, playfully slugging his companion in the arm. The two giggled and then stood in thoughtful silence for a few minutes. Knuckles wondered how Sonic remembered his birthday in the first place. He didn't recall telling him...then again, he didn't recall most of their conversations, as they were normally relatively short.

"Sonic..." Knuckles whispered suddenly, causing the hedgehog to turn to him. "Yeah?" he asked.

"Sonic, I...never really looked forward to my birthday, you know."

"Huh? Why not?" Sonic questioned.

"It was always kind of depressing for me. I mean..." Knuckles explained, "I never really thought there was anything to celebrate. I haven't really done anything worthwhile, you know?"

Sonic shook his head and sighed. "Knuckles...if it weren't for you, we wouldn't be able to save the world as much as we do, you know?" he pointed out. "Besides..." he continued, "your life isn't all about what you do. It's about who you are! And if I were you, I'd be pretty proud of myself..." Sonic put his arm around his friend's shoulders. "You're a great guy and a terrific friend, Knux, and I want to make sure you know that. You're the most heroic person I've ever met, and whether you realize it or not, if it weren't for you, I don't think I would've pulled through all of our battles and adventures. I don't care how little or how much you accomplish, you're my best friend, and I wouldn't want it any other way."

"Th-thanks, Sonic..." Knuckles stuttered, not sure what to say. He'd never been complimented like that before. Sonic chuckled. "Okay, so I got a little more emotional than usual...but it's all true, you know."

"I-I know." said crimson, a bit teared up. As he stood there just staring into his friend's eyes, he wondered if Sonic remembered if today was also the day they met. He highly doubted it, as Sonic never recalled the dates of days as eventful as that one, since it was such a blur.

"Sonic, do you remember the day we met?" Knuckles suddenly asked. "Of course," Sonic replied, "how could I forget?" The blue one cocked his head in confusion. Why would Knuckles bring this up now?

"Do you...happen to remember what date it was?" Knuckles questioned, feeling a smile tug at his lips in anticipation, wondering how long it would take the hedgehog to realize. "Well..." Sonic started, "I don't really know...sometime in Feb-"

That's when it hit him. He stared at Knuckles in disbelief. "It wasn't...today, was it?" he asked rhetorically, as he already had a feeling what the answer was. Knuckles beamed. "Sure was...I never really got a chance to tell you that it was my birthday that day, though." Knuckles then added, "Some birthday, huh? It was only four years ago, too..."

Sonic laughed. "Yeah. I could only imagine how confused and cluttered your thoughts were that day." Knuckles let out a small giggle and tried to recall exactly what was on his mind that day. The Master Emerald, probably. It was amazing to think how just four years ago that jewel was the only thing on his mind twenty-four seven, and now, here he was with a living, breathing friend. A best friend.

"As hectic as that day was, that was still the best birthday I've ever had. Not to mention the only one where something actually happened." Knuckles stated, getting a warm feeling in his chest that reminded him of how proud and grateful he felt that day. Sonic, too, had a warm feeling on the inside, glad that something other than fighting and destruction had come out of that day.

"You know..." said Sonic, "I still wish I had time to get you something. I bet it would make you feel really good, and it is your birthday..." Sonic sighed. Knuckles sensed his friend's disappointment in himself. "You know what, Sonic?" he announced, "I don't need a present today. Because if you yourself aren't the best birthday gift I've received in my entire life, then I don't know what is."

Knuckles had never thought he would say that, but he did. And he felt good, because it was true. "You...mean it Knux?" Sonic asked, tears forming in his eyes. "Why shouldn't I?" crimson confirmed.

All of a sudden, without thinking, out of joy or maybe even love, Knuckles flung himself into the hedgehog's arms. "I've changed my mind, Sonic," he cried happily, "_This_ is the best birthday I've ever had. Thank you..." Sonic was in shock and awe at Knuckles's sudden embrace, but he smiled and returned it gleefully. "Happy birthday, big guy. You deserve it."

They spent the rest of the day sitting at the altar together, talking and laughing and occasionally bickering (as per Sonic and Knuckles tradition), but in the end, they enjoyed each other's company and had a great time.

And, indeed, it was the best birthday Knuckles had ever had, because he got to spend it with his brother, the person he loved most.

* * *

Okay, okay, so it got a little OOC at the end. But I had to, you know? It was just too cute of a moment to pass up! 3

I'm surprised I actually managed to finish this on time...I thought it would take longer. I'm really glad, though, because now I feel like I've actually properly celebrated my favorite character's birthday. Happy 19th, Knuckles! 3 3 3

And with that, requests are now open. If you'd like to make one, please head back to the top of the page for the author's note in case you missed it before, as it contains all the rules. Thanks everyone...I can't wait to see what you guys come up with! And don't forget to review the actual story, of course ;)


	2. Temporary Doctor

AN: Finally, a request! Yaaaaaaay!

...You can tell I don't have too many ideas of my own right now xD Maybe 'cause I've used identical ideas for my past 4 oneshots. Oh well.

Anyway, I feel like not using Pages today. Go randomness.

Alright, enough of that, I just wasted two minutes of my time typing useless shit. This was the exact request: "One morning, Sonic has injured himself while visiting Knuckles somehow and now Knuckles has to take care of him until he's better". I'm not used to writing about people getting hurt unless it happened sometime before the events of the story (don't ask me why I avoid that), but hey, challenges are fun.

Enjoy the fic! (-^.^-)^

* * *

Temporary Doctor 

Requested by KoopalingFan

It was just another lazy afternoon on Angel Island. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and there wasn't a cloud in sight. The sun's rays shone on the Master Emerald, making it glisten glamorously.

A certain echidna sighed peacefully as he lay on the steps to the Master Emerald altar, taking in the beauty of his home and daydreaming like usual. These were one of his favorite kind of days: it was nice out, there was no sign of danger anywhere, and the hedgehog wasn't there to annoy him with a bunch of wisecracks. Not that he had anything against said hedgehog, but that didn't make him any less irritating.

As he chuckled to himself at the thought of the silly bickering he participated in with his blue friend, Knuckles's thoughts drifted to wondering what that cheeky speedster was up to. He started to become woozy from the warmth of the sun as he pondered. The guardian yawned and put his hands behind his head.

He fell asleep just before the whirring of the plane's propeller came into hearing range.

* * *

Sonic the Hedgehog hummed to himself as he turned the radio up on his plane, the Tornado. The bright and sunny weather put the teenage hero in a good mood that day, so he decided to go to Angel Island to pay that cranky echidna a visit. Sonic hoped that the weather made Knuckles happy, too.

Sonic saw a small speck forming in the distance. He smiled to himself, knowing he was getting close to his destination. He turned down the radio and flicked a switch, increasing the plane's speed (he was grateful his friend Tails had installed that function, he hated slow plane rides).

All of a sudden, another speck showed up on a small LED screen that was near the plane's control. It was the rearview screen, and the object seemed to be getting larger with every passing second. Getting a bit nervous, Sonic flicked another switch, and the Tornado's boost engines were ignited. The plane started accelerating, and oddly, so did the object.

Sonic wanted to move quicker, but the biplane was already at its maximum speed. He tried dodging the mystery projectile, but it followed him. The object kept hurtling towards Sonic, and...

BAM! It collided with the back of the plane, and the engine exploded. The plane began to descend quickly. Sonic wanted to panic, but remained cool and calm. Angel Island was becoming closer. He pounded the "Emergency Landing" button, but it broke upon impact, as the entire plane's internal systems were weakened by the blast.

Sonic muttered a swear under his breath. Angel Island was only a few feet way, and he couldn't stabilize the plane, which was plummeting at a rapid rate. He shut his eyes and braced himself for a crash landing.

* * *

Knuckles awoke to the sound of an explosion. His eyes flashed open. His muscles tensed as he jumped up and got into a fighting stance. He glance around cautiously, but found nothing of interest. He was about to lie back down, wondering if he had just imagined it, when he sniffed the air and smelled something burning.

The echidna, fearing the worst, rushed down the stairs and followed the unpleasant scent. It seemed he was getting closer to the edge of the island. Suddenly, he tripped over something sharp stuck in the ground. He shook himself off and examined it. It looked like...a propeller rotor? That's when it hit him. Who did he know who had a plane?

His heart rate stooped higher and higher as he dashed towards what looked like a large, broken-down, flaming metal object in the distance. He screeched to a sudden halt and his eyes grew wide when he saw something charred and spiny lying face-first in the dirt. _That can't be..._he thought, turning the figure over onto his back. He saw a familiar face staring back at him with his eyes closed, unconscious. "Oh shit..." Knuckles said in a frightened manner, his heart nearly thumping out of his chest. "Y-you idiot!" he exclaimed, "Wake up! Speak to me!" He shook the black-and-blue hedgehog furiously, but to no avail.

"SONIC!" he screamed, tears starting to well up in his eyes. He was extremely worried. What could have happened here? He just woke up to find his best friend in a condition that he'd never seen him in before. Crimson put his head to the hedgehog's chest, relieved to hear the soft beating of his heart. He was alive, but barely.

The Tornado started making popping and fizzing noises. The shocked echidna looked up and saw that the plane had started vibrating. Shaking, Knuckles scooped up Sonic in his arms and ran as fast as he could away from the area, not even looking back as he narrowly escaped right before the plane exploded.

* * *

Settling next to a small rock near some trees, Knuckles gently placed Sonic back on the ground and checked his pulse. Somehow, he was _still_ alive. Although thankful, Knuckles wondered how he could have possibly survived that landing. Now in a quieter area, he was able to hear the faint and shaky breaths coming from the hedgehog, and for the first time payed attention to the steady rise and fall of his chest.

Knuckles was panicking. If he didn't do something fast, Sonic would die, but he was no doctor. However, he couldn't bear the thought of losing him, so he strained his brain to think of something. That's when he remembered his exotic plants.

There were many different plants on the island that could cure numerous ailments. He knew the Tswar Flower contained a special cream that could heal burns, which were all over the cobalt one's body. He had also figured that Sonic might have broken a bone or two, and noticed that his head was bleeding. He couldn't tell which bones were broken, so he'd have to wait until Sonic woke up (if he woke up) to find out what hurts, but he knew that a few Naro Leaves made for a great makeshift bandage for the head injury.

Without another thought, the echidna placed Sonic's body against the rock and let out a deep sigh. "Don't die on me, okay?" Knuckles told Sonic, even though he couldn't hear him, "I'll be right back." With that, he ran off to find what would change Sonic's fate.

* * *

It had been thirty minutes and Knuckles had not returned. He had found a Tswar Flower easily, but it was extremely hard to distinguish Naro Leaves from regular leaves. He feared that he was too late, and he wanted to cry again, but he sucked it up. _What am I doing crying?_ he thought to himself, _I don't cry. I know I can do this. I just have to...pull it together...he'll make it through...won't he?_

Tears slid down Knuckles's cheeks as he continued to sift through leaf after leaf. Time was running out.

* * *

When his eyes opened, his vision was incredibly blurry. _Where am I...?_ He wondered, looking around him. He had regained a bit of his sight, but the constant pounding in his head made it hard to see. He glanced around and realized he was in a forest. That's when his memories came back to him: the object, Angel Island, the crash landing. Somehow, although he wasn't left unscathed, he survived.

He cheered silently to himself until his body started to feel hot and it became hard to breathe. He hacked up smoke. _Great, _he realized, _I'm burnt _and _I can't breathe._ His body ached all over, and for a few fearful minutes, he thought he was going to die a slow and painful death.

Just then, his slightly muffled hearing heard rustling in the bushes. He saw a figure, something read carrying green objects, emerge from the clearing. Sonic smiled to himself, knowing what it was.

Knuckles, exhausted and rife with worry and guilt, plopped down on the ground, panting. "Been...an hour...must...be too late..."

"Too late?" said a weak and tired voice, "You're just in time."

With a gasp, a scratched-up and slightly bruised Knuckles, with tear stains on his cheeks, looked up to see the one he'd been panicking over looking him right in the face, his emerald-green eyes a little darker than usual. "...Sonic...?" he asked meekly, staring his friend in the eyes.

"The one and only," he chuckled, trying to sound like he wasn't in agonizing pain. His heart ached for the poor echidna. He realized that he must've rescued him, and he must have gone nuts trying to save his life.

Before Sonic could say anything else, Knuckles buried his head into Sonic's chest and sobbed heavily. "WHAT THE HELL, SONIC?!" he cried despairingly, "I thought you were dead! Why do you have to do such risky things, Sonic...why..."

The shocked hedgehog just stroked his friend's quills comfortingly. "Relax," he whispered, "I'll be okay..." He squeezed the echidna tight. "You didn't have to go and exert yourself like that..."

"But...you were...you were near dead...you still are." Remembering why he came back to Sonic in the first place, Knuckles slowly rose to his feet and grabbed the medicinal herbs. "These plants should heal some of your wounds," he said, "but I don't know what to do after that..."

"Let's just focus on the injuries first," Sonic suggested, "My head is killing me."

"Right, Knuckles agreed, picking up the Nora Leaves. "These are Nora Leaves," he explained as he carefully wrapped the plants around Sonic's head, "They're absorbent enough to make great bandages." He then turned his attention to Sonic's burns. "I brought something for the burns, too..." he said, grabbing the Tswar Flower. "This Tswar Flower should help."

He squeezed a tan-colored cream out of the large, bulky flower, rubbing it into Sonic's skin, treating each of his burns one by one. "Is there anything else that hurts?" Knuckles asked quickly, "I could call Tails and ask him to get you to the hospital. We can't do it now because your plane exploded, and there's no way I can glide you there...does he have a backup plane? I don't know what to do if he doesn't...we need to see if you have broken bones or-"

"Knuckles." Sonic interrupted, weakly raising his arm and putting his hand on the echidna's shoulder, "Calm down...I hate having to see you like this." Knuckles, who was now done treating Sonic's burns, looked down at the floor in shame. Was he really helping? "I'm sorry, Sonic. I know this isn't like me at all. I just-"

"You don't have to be sorry." Sonic comforted. "You saved my life, man. I couldn't ask for anything more. In fact, I'm feeling better already." He beamed at Knuckles ad gave him a thumbs up, tears of joy stinging his eyes. Knuckles, too, was now tearful, but in a good way. The two sat in silence for a minute until Knuckles queried, "What happened, anyway?"

Sonic sighed. "I was flying here and all of a sudden, something showed up behind me. I couldn't really make out what it was, but it was circular and gray, looked like a meteor, if I remember correctly...there was an image on it, too..."

"But meteors don't have..." that's when Knuckles remembered a certain someone who put an image of his face on nearly all of his creations. He growled and furrowed his eyebrows. "Eggman..." he muttered, his voice dripping with malice.

"Chill, dude," Sonic told him. He realized his own voice sounded less cracked. "I suspected that it was him...but let's not worry about it right now. We can kick his sorry ass later, right?" Sonic smirked, and Knuckles grinned back, cracking his sharp knuckles. "It'd be my pleasure." He added, deadpanning, "I'll bring the pan, too." They both laughed for a few seconds, both of them feeling a bit happier and less fatigued.

* * *

Just then, they heard a jet engine in the background. Both their ears perked (AN: Yes, Knuckles HAS to have ears somewhere, people) and they spotted a white jet circling them overhead. "Tails!" they simultaneously exclaimed.

It was the X-Tornado, an upgraded model of the classic Tornado Tails had constructed a while back. "SONIC! KNUCKLES!" the fox kit called, landing the plane. He jumped out of the cockpit the minute the hatch flew open, and tackle-hugged his older brother. "I got really worried!" he exclaimed, "I tried to contact you and didn't get a response and was afraid something happened to you..." Sonic laughed as his brother's tails wagged happily. "I'm sorry, little buddy," he apologized, hugging him back, "something just came up..." he coughed up smoke again.

Tails stood up and got a look of worry on his face. "Sonic?" he asked worriedly, "what happened?" Knuckles turned to the fox cub. "One of Eggman's new toys hit the Tornado and it exploded..." he growled again upon thinking of the egg-shaped doctor. "Oh..." Tails's ears and tails drooped, upset that his favorite creation was destroyed, but was more concerned about Sonic's condition. "Well, good thing I'm here then. Let's get Sonic to a doctor right away!" his appendages perked up and wagged triumphantly. "That's the spirit, Tails," Sonic encouraged, beaming at his best friend. Tails giggled happily and twirled his twin tails, becoming airborne. He picked up Sonic and carefully placed him in the passenger's seat. Knuckles got in next to him. "You're coming?" Tails asked quizzically. "Of course he is," Sonic butted in before Knuckles could answer, "he was the one who saved me, after all." Sonic and Tails smiled and Knuckles blushed. "Heh..." he managed, settling in his seat.

He fell asleep within minutes from exhaustion. Sonic, too, was about to take a nap, not afraid that he wasn't going to wake up anymore. He reached over and squeezed Knuckles's shoulder. "Thanks a bunch, buddy," he whispered. Somehow, Knuckles must have sensed him, because he squirmed happily. Tails and Sonic both saw this and chuckled quietly. "I think you made him happy, Sonic," Tails pointed out. Sonic shook his head. "He already _was_ happy. Or at least I hope he is, 'cause he did a damn good job today."

Knuckles figured the Master Emerald was feeding him information or something as he slept, because he heard the hedgehog's every word. For the rest of the ride, there was a strong, warm feeling in his chest, because he knew that everything was going to be just fine.

* * *

For a story that only took around two hours to write, it turned out pretty good, no? It must've been, because my heart was actually pounding and I _knew_ what was coming. Anyway, thanks for the request, KoopalingFan, I had a great time writing this. Hope you and the rest of you readers enjoyed! Don't forget to review and leave a request if you wish!

(Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna upload this chapter and play some Kirby, because this chair makes my bum hurt T.T)


	3. What Really Happened

(Before I start with today's somewhat lengthy author's note, I'd like to give a big shout-out to all those who are supporting this fic. I really appreciate all the compliments and am glad to know that my writing is liked. My first priority when writing, after all, is to entertain! ...Or make you cry your eyes out. Depends on the story :P)

Reviewers: WybiE'z KidNapPer, Super-sonic Iblish, Galem, KoopalingFan, Guest, Olivia T. Echidna

Followers: KoopalingFan, AnimeFanGirl7218

Favorites: KoopalingFan, BlueAiko, SonicHedgehog7

Thanks again! (Now back to today's programming)

Whew. This is gonna be one doozy of a story. Besides the fact that I'm having a hell of a hard time not making this awkward (as I've mentioned numerous times before), I'm now tasked with combining two requests into one. To sum it up, Sonic and Knuckles ask about each other's pasts. Also, Tails is there because I'm obligated to fill out this request, so I guess Tails gets some brotherly love, too xD

So, yeah. Here's Chapter 3, aka "The Chapter Where Kirbymon Spends Hours Racking Her Brain for Headcanon!"

(PS. Quick little shoutout to Speedy1236 for inspiring me to get on with this shit, after I pretty much kept delaying it. Chapter 10 in his story _Watch __the Hourglass_ talked about Sonic's past quite a bit, so I guess it was a brain refresher for me. I'm not completely stealing his ideas or anything-in fact, my version is probably only 25% similar to his, but it got those rusty gears turning. He also gave me some suggestions in regard to the collection as a whole. Thanks, Speedy! xD If you haven't checked out his stories yet, do it or I'll eat you whole. Like, right now. I said NOW. NOOOOOOW!)

* * *

**What Really Happened**

Requested by KoopalingFan/Olivia T. Echidna

"I won!"

"No you didn't!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Sore loser!"

"That's not checkmate!"

"Yeah it is, you Knucklehead! Your king's trapped!"

A crimson-furred echidna growled and a visible vein popped out of his head. The cobalt hedgehog sitting across from him at the table let out a long, over-dramatic sigh, clearly annoyed at the echidna's obliviousness. He knew that his opponent knew full well that he lost, but he refused to let go of his pride, as usual.

"Listen," the hedgehog said crossly, pointing to the chess board, "if you try to capture my queen there, which is the only possible spot you can move to that isn't in the top row, you'll get taken by my bishop. If you stay in the top row, my rook will-"

"Shut UP already!" the echidna shouted, flipping over the table with rage, "I'm sick of this game, anyway!" the supersonic hedgehog nimbly jumped out of the way as the table fell to the ground with a _thump_, and the chess pieces scattered around beside it.

"Smooth move, Knucklehead," Sonic the Hedgehog deadpanned, rolling his eyes in disgust. "I'm not picking that up, by the way," he added, folding his arms. Knuckles the Echidna grunted and kicked a black bishop (AN: I'm not being racist, don't sue me T.T) towards the wall. Unfortunately, the bishop jeered to the left and knocked over an ancient piece of pottery. Knuckles cursed under his breath and dashed over to the shelf, catching the small pot just in time.

Sonic chortled and walked up beside the red echidna, who sighed with relief. "If I had a nickel for every time you did something stupid..." the speedy hero teased, receiving a glare from his friendly rival. "I knew we should have just stayed by the altar instead of taking shelter in the Hidden Palace," the echidna muttered, glancing out the window at the raging thunderstorm. Normally, Knuckles would just stand guard like usual and wait it out, but his blue visitor insisted they take cover. "And risk me getting all _wet_?" Sonic replied, his voice emphasizing that last word with disgust, "No thanks, dude."

The pair took a moment to gaze at some of the artifacts in the room. The object Knuckles held was a dusty, brick-red, small pot with a simple, green emerald design on the front, symbolizing the Master Emerald. There was an assortment of other ancient creations on the wooden shelves, including pots, paintings, sculptures, gadgets, and scriptures of all kinds, all designed by echidnas. "Compared to you and your pea-sized brain, your ancestors seem like they were really complicated," Sonic stated as he examined the objects, careful not to touch any so he wouldn't anger his red companion.

"They sure were," agreed Knuckles, ignoring Sonic's "insult of the day" as he gingerly set the pottery back in its place. He sighed to himself, wishing he had been old enough to discuss ancient technology with his family, but he was too young to understand what they were talking about. Before he could grow up, they were all wiped out.

"What happened to them, anyway?" Sonic suddenly inquired. "Huh?" Knuckles turned to his friend and gave him a puzzled look.

"You remember Tikal, right?" Sonic asked, receiving a silent nod from Knuckles. "When she took us back into the past, in order for us to understand what had happened to her tribe and why Chaos was an angry beast..." the hedgehog continued on, thinking back to one of his earlier adventures in which he pursued the water monster known as Chaos, "...she explained that that took place hundreds of years ago. If you were born about nineteen years ago...how did _your_ tribe get destroyed?"

Knuckles looked down at the floor in silence. He had never been asked this before, and frankly, he was glad about that. He didn't like to discuss it.

"It's...not something I like to talk about," he replied somberly.

"You sure? I mean, you can't keep all your emotions cooped up inside of you forever."

"I'm _sure_." The guardian growled. "It's none of your business anyway."

Sonic scowled. "Nothing's my business anymore," he pouted. "You seriously can't trust anyone with anything, can you? Not even your _best friend_?"

"With your crap track record, you'd be lucky if I trusted you with the clothes on my back."

Sonic smirked. "But you don't wear-"

"It's an _idiom_, hedgehog!" Knuckles shouted, now staring at Sonic with his piercing glare "Now, are you going to stop pestering me or do I have to toss you out the window into that rain you despise so much?!"

Sonic was about to point out that the Hidden Palace didn't have any windows (or at least any windows that weren't blocked by marble pillars not unlike prison bars), but he figured he had toyed with Knuckles enough. He wasn't any less curious about the echidna's history, but it was painfully obvious that he wasn't going to get any answers even if he held a gun to his head. That was Knuckles, stubborn as a mule.

"Alright, alright, chill out...I was just curious."

"Well, you know what they say, curiosity killed the cat. Or in this case, the annoyingly inquisitive hedgehog."

"...I've gotta admit, that was a good comeback."

"Don't flatter me."

Meanwhile, a third individual had heard the rodents' small argument from the ancient library, where he was studying echidna technology in order to implement their ideas into his own concoctions. The golden fox sighed and shut the book he was reading, then hopped out of his seat, quickly dusting himself off with his two bushy tails. He made his way to the main hall.

"Is everything alright in here?" Miles "Tails" Prower queried upon spotting the disturbed chess set and his two friends with annoyed looks on their faces.

"Yeah, we're fine, little bro. No problems here," Sonic claimed, giving his adopted younger brother a thumbs up.

Tails rolled his eyes. "Come on, Sonic. I know you two had to have _some_ kind of disagreement. I'm 11 now, so the lies don't work on me."

Sonic chuckled. "You're a tough nut to crack, huh? Good kid, I raised you well."

"Sonic pestered me about a very sensitive subject," Knuckles finally spoke so Sonic wouldn't waste his time beating around the bush.

"Yeah, well, Knuckles just went and flipped over the damn table! That was civil of him!" Sonic retorted.

"Cool it already!" Tails spat, clearly becoming annoyed with this blame game. "I knew I should've just left you at home and did my research so this wouldn't happen, but nope, you insisted on tagging along."

Sonic sighed. "Fine, fine, sorry. Go back to your research, buddy. We won't bother you anymore, I promise."

"Don't dismiss me yet," Tails hissed. "You don't have to be vague with me. If I'm the only responsible one around here, then I should have the right to know what exactly happened."

"It's none of your-" Knuckles started, but Sonic quickly grabbed his arm to stop him. The hedgehog sighed and put on a defeated look. "He's right. He's only trying to help us, albeit in a more irritable manner."

Knuckles grumbled something under his breath and let his tense muscles relax. He figured there was no use arguing with Sonic, because if there was anything the hedgehog was really passionate about, it was Tails. He'd willingly jump off a bridge for his younger friend, and probably wouldn't hesitate to maul Knuckles if he said something bad about him.

Of course, Knuckles still didn't want to talk about anything at the moment, so he just let Sonic tell the story.

"We were just hanging out as usual," Sonic began. "After a while I caught sight of all the ancient doohickeys on the shelves and asked him about..." Sonic paused with a frown. "Well, I asked him about what happened to him when he was little. I guess I, uh, set him off a little with that."

"You wouldn't _want_ to know what happened," Knuckles sighed. "It wasn't pretty." Knuckles swallowed hard to keep himself from showing any signs of despair. The jumbled memories of those events were starting to eat away at his heart.

Sonic and Tails could hear the slight crack in his voice, and exchanged worried glances. There was a moment of looming silence before anyone spoke up.

"None of our pasts were very pleasant, Knuckles," Tails said sadly. "All I remember is waking up one day without a family, and I had to endure constant mocking and teasing from the people around me until I met Sonic."

_At least you found _someone _within 10 years_, Knuckles wanted to say, but didn't allow the words to escape his mouth, not wanting to make it sound like Tails had it easy all the time. He knew for a fact that the poor kid had gone through quite a bit, but couldn't help but think that even the two-tailed fox had it better than him.

"Tails is right, Knuckles," Sonic said. "I lost my parents too, you know. I don't remember much, but I know that Eggman had something to do with it...I was only five then, so I didn't know who he was or what he did, nor did I have any intention of stopping him. I just kind of wandered around until five years later when I went after Eggman for the first time. I tried to look for some other family during those five years, but they were all either dead or way out of the country.

"Later I found out that Eggman actually meant to kill me, not my parents. He had learned of my special abilities and was afraid that I would be able to surpass his current state of being the most powerful person in the world. I figured that my parents had tried to defend me and died instead. I was a bit shocked about the whole thing at first, but by that time I had so much on my agenda I didn't give it much thought..."

Knuckles was a bit perplexed as to why Sonic decided to divulge his entire past after he had just refused to do so. He wasn't sure how to respond, so he just nodded slowly and tried to look sympathetic. However, a question had reached his mind and he just had to let it out. "Sonic...do you remember _how_ exactly your parents died? Do you have images of it in your head?"

Sonic frowned, trying to remember the event. However, nothing came to mind, except a few vague memories of fire and explosions. "No...can't say I do..."

_There it is. There's the difference. The one reason my past is so much more painful... _Knuckles had to bite his lip to prevent himself from saying this out loud. The room was washed in quietness again as Knuckles felt the memories flooding back to him. _No...no, not now...I knew it was a bad idea to talk about this...can't freak out...not in front of them..._

Knuckles involuntarily began to shudder, and Sonic noticed immediately. "Uh...Knux? You okay?"

_No. Does it look like I'm okay, hedgehog? _"Yeah. I'm alright." Knuckles sniffled.

"You don't really look it..." Tails said.

"Stop it, you two. I'm _fine_, promise!" Unfortunately, Knuckles's attempt to sound calm only made it worse. His voice was shuddering along with his body, and he felt sweat pour down his face.

"Will you let go of your pride for five seconds? You look like you're about to have a stroke!" Sonic nagged.

Tails have the hedgehog an angry glare. "You're not helping," he whispered through clenched teeth. He then turned to Knuckles. "We just want you to get it off your chest..."

"I-" Knuckles started, but was unsure what to say. He knew they would just keep on insisting until he gave in, but...he just couldn't break down. Not in front of them...

The concerned look on their faces told him there was only one decision. _I can't believe I'm doing this._

"What I'm about to tell you is gruesome, guys," he said, staring them straight in the eyes."It's traumatized me my entire life. Are you _sure _you want me to tell you this?"

_Traumatized?_ Knuckles_? That can't be right..._ Sonic thought. "Shoot, buddy. We're here with you if...if it's too much. You can stop in the middle if it's that terrible..." Tails gulped and nodded in agreement.

"Okay," Knuckles said, taking the deepest breath he could muster. "Don't say I didn't warn you..."

With two pairs of eyes staring intently at him, Knuckles began his tale. "Back when I was almost four, I lived with my father, who was the thirteenth in the line of guardians since Tikal. There was kind of a civil war going on. An echidna named Dimitri lead a group that wanted to expand the echidna empire beyond Angel Island, and my father wanted us to stay here as our ancestors intended. One day, the war went a little too far..."

(WARNING! GORY FLASHBACK AHEAD! I'm changing the rating to M just for this O_o)

* * *

_For the umpteenth time in one day, a young Knuckles feel out of a tree._

_"I'm sorry, father...I'm just not good at this climbing thing!" He complained._

_His father, a tall echidna with a white beard named Locke, slapped his palm to his forehead. "Try it again, Knuckles! Fist in, fist in, fist out, leg up, fist back in, rinse and repeat with the other side!"_

_Knuckles nodded and reluctantly went back to work. As he was doing that, a figure appeared behind Locke. He whipped his head around to spot Akterin, one of his supporters in the civil war. "What is it?"_

_"Locke, sir! The opposing party is gathered in front of the Master! I have a bad feeling about this..."_

_"I see," Locke replied. "I shall investigate." He turned to Knuckles, who had once again fallen out of the tree. The young future guardian looked up at his father._

_"I wanna see the Master Emerald, too!" he pleaded._

_"No," his father replied sternly. "You know how dangerous it is, as I told you last time. You will stay here in this very spot!"_

_Knuckles sighed heavily. He knew better than to debate with his father. "Yes, dad..."  
_

_"Good boy," Locke said, patting the child on the head. He then went off, leaving Knuckles alone._

_After five minutes of staring into space, bored out of his mind, Knuckles had an idea. It was risky, but he'd been grounded many times before, and wouldn't care if it happened again. He was too curious. Besides, his father was a strong warrior and the most respected echidna on Mobius. It couldn't be too dangerous, whatever was going on, when he was around. Knuckles admired his father for this reason, and loved him more than anyone in the world. He was sure he wouldn't be hurt if he just took a peek at what was happening._

_Knuckles stood up and looked around to make sure nobody was watching, than went towards the direction of the Master Emerald shrine. He knew where it was after he snuck over there a few months ago, although he had been caught by his father shortly after he had arrived._

_Soon enough, Knuckles found himself hiding behind some bushes near the shrine. To his surprise, every echidna on Angel Island was gathered there. The two that stuck out were his father and Dimitri._

_"You imbecile!" Locke spat. "This plan is suicidal! Have you not learned from our ancestors?!"_

_Dimitri smirked. "You are so foolish, Locke. Our plan is different...look above you."_

_All the echidnas gasped as they looked up and saw seven echidnas, each one standing on one of the pillars the Chaos Emeralds rested upon. They jumped down, each with an Emerald in their hand._

_"You see, we took control of the seven Chaos BEFORE the Controller!" Dimitri explained. "Now all we have to do is-"_

_He was cut short when Locke pounced on him, holding a sword to his neck. "I will not let you do anything!" He turned to the crowed, almost all of them warriors. "CHARGE!"_

_The next few minutes were a blur to Knuckles. All he could hear was screaming, shouting, the clanking of weapons, and moans of pain as dying echidnas fell to the ground. A bit fearful, Knuckles lowered his head so he wouldn't have to see all of it. Amongst the red and brown, he could spot the Chaos Emeralds glowing, and in enough time, the Master._

_Knuckles was unsure why the Master Emerald was glowing. The only time it glowed, from what he knew, was when someone said the ancient prayer._

_He was pulled out of his thoughts when a wave of light blinded him. A few seconds later, a single blue creature stood before the now silent echidnas, the Chaos Emeralds forming a ring around him._

_Knuckles gasped as the monster suddenly grew bigger and bigger until it was taller than every echidna stacked on top of each other. It let out an intimidating roar, and the echidnas scrambled in each and every direction, running for their lives._

_Knuckles was speechless, jaw agape. Perfect Chaos had emerged, and it was angry._

_A rush of adrenaline flowed through Knuckles's body as he ran as fast as he could. However, each corner of the village was on fire from all the destruction, or flooded out. The mangled bodies of dead echidnas were there for Knuckles to see in full detail, which made the poor child feel like puking. _

_The same scene repeated itself wherever he went until he tripped over a rock. His heart thumping wildly. He tried to get up, but fell again in his panic. He heard a rush of water behind him, and before he knew it, a cold wave swept over him and everything went black._

_Miraculously, Knuckles awoke a while later in front of the Master Emerald shrine. His body ached from head to toe, he was bruised and bloodied, his vision was blurry, and he had to hack up water that was in his lungs. He brought himself to all fours, looking around warily. Once again, dead bodies were everywhere, and the world around him was silent. _

_Knuckles was confused, frightened, and alone, and the next thing he saw didn't help him._

_"FATHER!" Knunkles cried as he dashed over to his father's mangled body. He was lying still in a pool of his own blood. And arm and a leg had been dismembered from his body, and his middle had been ripped open. Knuckles could make out most of his vital organs, which looked like they were rotting._

_That was more than Knuckles could take. He retched and vomited puke, blood, and water on the ground next to him. He then collapsed and wailed loud enough for all of Mobius to hear. In a matter of minutes, he had lost everything._

_Knuckles had almost suffocated himself, he was crying so hard. He would never cry this much again in his life._

_Suddenly, a red orb of light appeared in front of him. He sniffled and looked up at it in wonder. "Guardian..." the orb spoke, "I am sorry..."_

_Knuckles recognized this orb from the legends he had been taught. "Are you...Tikal?" He inquired._

_"That I am. I'm so sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but...you just witnessed Chaos's anger, even more anger than he had years ago. Your tribe had disturbed his peace enough with their malicious feelings, and taking the Chaos Emeralds was the last straw."_

_"Is...is anyone else alive?" Knuckles sniffled, not caring about anything else._

_"I am sorry, child...but no. You would be dead, too, if I hadn't revived you. You have a good heart, Knuckles...you're the last one left...please, I know you are young, but you must take on your role of guardian...protect our legacy..." _

_Tikal then faded away, leaving Knuckles stunned._

_He had just witnessed the apocalypse, the destruction of everyone and everything he knew and loved, and had nearly died in the midst of it all. He was now forced to live alone._

_He fainted of shock and distress._

* * *

"...So, I lived the rest of my life alone. I taught myself how to survive, fight, and guard. It wasn't easy...I had fallen ill many times, and had come close to death many times more. I couldn't go a day without breaking down from a broken heart until I was twelve...and still, thinking about it now..."

Sonic and Tails just stood there with scared, wide-eyed looks on their faces. Knuckles noticed this and sighed, his voice still shaking. "I'm sorry you two had to hear that...that's just how it happened, though, and I wasn't going to sugar-coat it. I still have to live every day knowing that I'd lost my innocence so early on in life, that I'd had to feel such fear, see such gore...that I was always...alone...dying-"

Knuckles suddenly fell to the floor and began to puke. Sonic and Tails immediately bent down, rubbing his back until he was done. Knuckles's vision had become blurry, and his ears were ringing. He could barely make out their words of concern.

"St-stop..." Knuckles moaned, "I'm sorry...overreacting...like always...can't...help...myself..." Suddenly, he collapsed.

There were a few minutes of eerie silence among Sonic and Tails as they stared at their troubled friend on the ground. For a few scary moments, they thought he had had a heart attack, but then realized he had just fainted. "Oh...my...Chaos..." Tails finally spoke.

Sonic hugged his little brother tightly, tears forming at his eyes. "Dammit, Tails...this is all my fault. If I knew he'd be so crippled by talking about this, I-"

Tails nuzzled Sonic's shoulder. "It's not your fault, Sonic...I'm going to get some water for him from the Tornado...some cleaning supplies, too..." Tails's tone was calm, despite him being scarred for life deep inside. He twired his twin namesakes rapidly and soared away.

Sonic could not get rid of the guilty feeling residing in the pit of his stomach. "All this time you've known me, Knuckles...I never knew..." Sonic sniffled, fighting back tears. "I'm sorry. You're right, I am a stupid hedgehog." He gingerly put a hand on Knuckles's head and rubbed it slowly. He sobbed silently, feeling like the worst person in the world for causing his toughest friend to be in such a traumatized state.

Although it felt like hours, Tails came back in a matter of minutes. He handed a wet cloth to Sonic. "Put this on his forehead. I'll clean up this mess before I puke myself..." he murmured. Sonic did as he was told, and waited until Knuckles's eyelids fluttered open a few minutes later.

The red echidna groaned, his vision still blurry. He could only make out a blue figure hovering above him. "Father..." he mumbled, still half-asleep.

"Easy, Knux...it's Sonic." Sonic assured him, helping him sit upright. Tails had finished cleaning the floor and was squeezing Knuckles's hand.

Knuckles regained his senses soon enough, and could now see clearly. "M-my head..." he complained. Sonic handed him a glass of water. "Don't guzzle it, or you'll get sick again," he instructed, unsure what else to say to him.

Knuckles took a few sips and put the glass down beside him, taking a few deep breaths. "I think...I'm controlled now..." His voice was still raspy and he had a minor headache, but he wasn't feeling helpless anymore, which was an improvement.

He was suddenly pounced on by Tails, who was clinging to him tightly. "W-w-we thought you were dead..." the fox whimpered. Knuckles sighed and awkwardly pulled the kit close. "Come on, now. You know I'm tougher than that," he said with a small smile, trying to lighten the mood.

Sonic cleared his throat suddenly, and received a puzzled look from Knuckles. Tails's head was still buried in the echidna's chest. "Listen, Knuckles-" Sonic started, but stopped when Knuckles shook his head.

"Don't. I know what you're thinking." Knuckles said. "I know I got a little out of control, but...I'm not as sick right now as you think I am. Sure, having to relive that series of events again was unsettling, but I'm so used to involuntarily breaking down at this point that..."

Sonic squeezed Knuckles's shoulder tightly. "I know. I'm just sorry that there's even such a reason for you to break down...if I knew you had been tortured so much back then, I wouldn't have brought it up. I was curious, but not curious enough to want to see you so upset." Sonic then gave him a weak smile. "You're strong, you know that? Anyone else I know would've had a heart attack in that situation...not even just now, but when you were so young. And then you lived with it for years without telling anyone..."

Knuckles sighed. "You make it sound like it was easy. Everything else is easy, but not living with that."

"I know, I know. Just the fact that you got through it, is...well, amazing. Even I couldn't have dealt with that, not after witnessing everything in such vivid detail."

"Hey, Knuckles?" Tails asked softly. "Do you feel better now that you told us?"

Knuckles pondered the question for a few seconds before answering. "...I guess...I mean, I wish I hadn't lost control like that in front of you guys, but at least I don't have to feel like..."

Knuckles paused, unsure what to say without embarrassing himself. Eventually he decided just to speak the truth, he'd already made a scene, anyway. "...I don't have to feel like I'm alone. When I was the only one that knew about it, I felt like nobody understood how I felt, even after I met you and the others. You still didn't have to go through the experience, but...I think this scene was enough. Anyway, I guess I feel less trapped, now...kinda..."

"See? I told you getting it off your chest would help in the long run," Sonic said, patting him on the back. "Still, I'm questioning if I was wrong here..."

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "Come on, Sonic. You don't have to be all guilty here. I'm fine, really...and I'm not just 'holding on to my pride' this time."

"If you say so," Sonic replied, putting on a fake defeated look. "So, we're done with this, right? No more negativity."

Knuckles chuckled a bit. "Right. No more trauma and shit. Although...I'm sorry if I, uh, scarred you or anything."

"Don't worry about it," Tails said, wiggling out of Knuckles's arms. "I'm just glad you're okay now."

Sonic yawned. "I think we should get going. I'm exhausted from all of that drama."

Knuckles punched his friend's arm playfully. "Typical of you."

Sonic shoved him back. "Hey, don't think that just 'cause we helped you through that means I'm not gonna fight you, ya hear?"

Knuckles got to his feet and replied, "Oh, believe me, I know. In fact, I'll punch you square in the face if you come here in the middle of the night thinking I'm puking my guts up or something."

"Well, now that you mention it..."

"_Sonic!_"

Sonic laughed for the first time that day. "Sheesh, I'm just kidding. I hope you didn't have to deal with being so gullible back then, too."

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't be surprised if you had no common sense when _you_ were little."

"Okay, that's enough, you two." Tails interrupted, giggling a bit. "I know we're all itching to beat each other up now that that's over since you two can't _stand_ being nice to each other, but I'm tired and I bet you are too." Tails began to hover in the air. "I'm going to go start up the plane, and if I don't have Sonic with me within five minutes I'll beat up _both_ of you. Clear?"

Sonic gave his little brother a noogie. "Whatever, mom."

Tails gave Knuckles one last hug before flying off, leaving the hedgehog and the echidna alone.

"So...I won that chess game, right?"

"You'll win a trip to the emergency room if you stay here half a second longer." Knuckles said, smirking.

Sonic threw up his hands in defeat. "Whatever you say, grumpy old troll." He gave Knuckles a grin before starting off.

"Sonic?" Knuckles called suddenly. The hedgehog turned at the sound of his name. "Yeah?"

"If I get one phone call from you tonight I'm putting you on meds for paranoia."

"Sounds like a plan, Doc," Sonic replied. He then took off for real, smiling as he ran along.

Knuckles may have had his weak moments, and boy, was that story scary, but in the end Sonic figured that he shouldn't have underestimated the echidna's sanity like that. In retrospect, he remembered having a few freak-outs of his own in the past-not over something as serious as being the sole survivor of the apocalypse, and he wasn't puking all over, but they were close enough. And yet, he was fine, so of course Knuckles would be fine.

The day may have been rough, but both Sonic and Knuckles learned an important lesson.

Knuckles learned that sometimes it wasn't always a good idea to keep everything to yourself, and Sonic learned that his friends were stronger than he gave them credit for. They both grew closer that day, and no dramatic semi-strokes could outweigh that.

Sonic and Knuckles would probably tease each other about their reactions the next time they saw each other, anyway.

* * *

FUCKING FINALLY!

Oh my God, I delayed that for WAY too long. I hope I don't scare you all too much with this one xD Also, I was kinda struggling on how to end this piece. I guess the overall point of it was that even when things get out of hand, Sonic and Knuckles are strong enough to get through it anyway...I dunno, I just wanted to end on a good note lol.

Also, I accidentally clicked on something after not saving in a while, so I had to redo a lot of this ;~;

I think it turned out alright, even though the cooldown was a bit tough to explain. Hope it was worth the wait!

(You guys can still leave requests, but I have a more light-hearted idea in mind, so stay tuned.)


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